Unit 2 — Performing
Description
Students independently sing and/or play songs using proper technique and visual cues. The unit focuses on following and interpreting conducting cues and gestures, applying proper breathing, posture, sound production, intonation, musicality, and expression, and demonstrating correct diction and articulation. Students practice appropriate concert etiquette and stage presence. A diverse repertoire is chosen with emphasis on discussing backgrounds of composers, musicians, and performers. The curriculum incorporates a wide variety of social issues including spirituals and protest songs.
Essential Questions
- How do performers select repertoire?
- How do musicians improve the quality of their performance?
- When is a performance judged ready to present?
- How do context and the manner in which musical work is presented influence audience response?
Learning Objectives
- Demonstrate and explain how selection of music to perform is influenced by personal interest, knowledge, context, and technical skill
- Demonstrate understanding of the structure and expanded music concepts in music selected for performance
- Analyze selected music by reading and performing using standard notation
- Explain how context informs performances
- Convey creator's intents through interpretive decisions using expanded expressive qualities
- Apply teacher-provided and established criteria and feedback to evaluate accuracy and expressiveness
- Rehearse to refine technical accuracy and expressive qualities
- Perform music alone or with others with expression, technical accuracy, and appropriate interpretation
- Demonstrate performance decorum and audience etiquette appropriate for context, venue, genre, and style
Supplemental Resources
- Printed word lists of musical vocabulary and dynamic markings
- Sheet music with visual cues and annotations
- Lyric sheets for songs in diverse styles
Music - Performing
Students apply mathematical thinking through rhythm patterns, counting, and structural analysis of musical compositions.
Students explore scientific inquiry and design thinking when investigating sound, acoustics, and the physics of musical instruments.
Students develop literacy skills through reading and interpreting musical notation, writing about musical choices, discussing artistic intent, and analyzing text in songs and compositions.
Students examine how music reflects cultural, historical, and social contexts, including the contributions of diverse musicians and composers from various backgrounds and communities.
Students develop mind-body awareness through musical performance, breath control, posture, and the health benefits of musical engagement and expression.
Students encounter and perform music in different languages and explore diverse global musical traditions and cultural expressions.
Formative Assessments
- Teacher observation of rehearsal participation and response to conducting gestures
- Group discussion about interpretive choices and repertoire selection
- Skill testing on technical accuracy and proper technique
- Question and answer exchanges about expressive intent
Summative Assessment
Students perform in concerts with appropriate technique and expression, demonstrating their ability to apply conducting feedback and interpret musical notation
Benchmark Assessment
Group work, discussion, question and answer, teacher observation, and skill testing
Alternative Assessment
Students may demonstrate understanding through individual or small-group performance with simplified repertoire, extended practice time, or reduced performance length. Visual supports such as annotated sheet music, gesture charts, or movement cues may be provided to support interpretation of conducting and musical notation.
IEP (Individualized Education Program)
Students may benefit from visual conducting cue charts or gesture reference cards to support their ability to follow and respond to the director during rehearsal. Teachers should offer alternative output modes during skill checks, such as allowing students to demonstrate technique through physical modeling or verbal explanation rather than written response. Breaking down multi-step performance expectations — such as posture, breath support, and diction — into individually practiced components with frequent check-ins can help students build mastery progressively. When discussing repertoire backgrounds and social contexts, providing simplified text summaries alongside visual supports will help students access content meaningfully.
Section 504
Students should be provided preferential placement within the performing ensemble to ensure clear sightlines to the conductor and any posted visual cues. Extended time should be offered where written reflection or self-evaluation components are part of the unit, and reduced-distraction environments can support focus during individual skill checks. Advance notice of rehearsal sequences and concert expectations will support students in managing transitions and performance-day routines.
ELL / MLL
Teachers should use visual conducting gesture charts and labeled diagrams of proper posture and breath technique to make performance expectations accessible across language backgrounds. When introducing repertoire connected to historical or social contexts — such as spirituals or protest songs — providing images, short video clips, and home-language resources where available will help students build background knowledge. Simplified verbal directions paired with physical modeling during rehearsal will support comprehension of musical vocabulary such as dynamics, articulation, and expression. Pairing students strategically during group rehearsal can provide a supportive peer language model.
At Risk (RTI)
Teachers should offer clear, structured entry points into performance skills by isolating one technical element at a time — such as breath support before adding diction expectations — so students experience early success and build confidence. Connecting repertoire to students' own cultural experiences or prior musical knowledge can increase engagement and sense of belonging within the ensemble. Positive, specific feedback during teacher observation checkpoints will help reinforce growth and encourage persistence through the refinement process. Providing a simple self-monitoring tool during rehearsal can help students track their own progress toward technical and expressive goals.
Gifted & Talented
Students can be invited to research the historical and social contexts of repertoire selections in greater depth, exploring connections between a composer's or performer's background and the interpretive choices embedded in the music. Teachers may encourage these students to take on leadership roles within sectional rehearsals, articulating and justifying expressive decisions to peers using musical vocabulary. Extended analysis of standard notation — such as examining how a composer's markings reflect cultural or emotional intent — can provide meaningful intellectual challenge beyond technical accuracy. Students may also be invited to propose and defend additional repertoire selections that connect to the unit's social themes, drawing on independent research.